In 1970, he became the foundation professor of social anthropology and Māori Studies at Massey University.
He was a New Zealand delegate to UNESCO and a consultant to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kāwharu was appointed a Knight Bachelor, for services to the Māori people.
[2] In the 2002 Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours, Kāwharu was appointed to the Order of New Zealand.
[7] He was patron of the Pitt Rivers Museum and an honorary Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford.